Means for keeping switch and signal apparatus free from snow and ice.



PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907 F. G. SHAW. MEANS FOR KEEPING SWITCH AND SIGNALAPPARATUS FREE FROM SNOW AND ICE. APPLICATION rum) Nov. a. 1906.

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APPLICATION FILED NOV. s. 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

FRANCIS G. SHAW, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE INTER-NATIONAL SWITCH AND SIGNAL COMPANY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHU- SETTS, ACORPORATION OF MAINE.

MEANS FOR KEEPING SWITCH AND SIGNAL APPARATUS FREE FROM SNOW AND ICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1907.

Application filed be 8, 1906. Serial No. 342,467.

To ctZZ whom) it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS G. SHAW, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Means for Keeping Switchand Signal Apparatus Free from Snow and Ice, of which the followingdescription, in connec tion with the accompanying drawing, is aspecification, like letters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to means for keeping switch and signal apparatusfree from snow and ice, and in some respects is an improvement on theapparatus shown and described in Patent No. 834440, dated October 30,1906. In said patent is illustrated an apparatus for this purpose inwhich a chamber is formed adjacent to the vulnerable part of the switchand signal apparatus, that is, the part which is likely to be clogged bysnow, and a burner adapted to burn gas or some other suitable fuel islocated within said chamber. My present invention has the same elements,that is, the chamber adjacent the vulnerable parts of the apparatus andthe burner within the chamber, and it has for one of its objects toprovide means for causing a more even distribution of the heat withinthe chamber than is possible with the apparatus shown in the abovementioned patent; and for another object to provide a constructionwhereby the comparatively long burner tubes which are used can bereadily ignited from either end; and, further, to provide such aconstruction that the burners cannot be permanently extinguished by windor by drafts caused by the rapid movement of a train or otherwise.

In the drawings wherein is shown some selected forms of the inventionfor the purpose of illustrating the principle thereof-Figure 1 is a topplan view of a switch having my improvements applied thereto; Fig. 2 isa section on the line 0cx, Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side view of a portion ofthe switch; Fig. 4 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of aportion of the burner tube and one form of the deflector; Figs. 5, 6 and7 showdifierent forms of deflectors that may be used.

The main fixed rails and 4 of a railway track, and the pivoted switchrails 5 and 6 and the ties 7 on which said rails rest are of anysuitable or usual construction.

In a switch of this character the vulnerable parts or those which areliable to be clogged by snow and ice are the pivoted switch rails, andarranged adjacent to the switch rails are heating chambers Within whichthe burners 8 are situated. In the present embodiment of my inventionthese chambers are formed by hoods or covers 9 and 10 which are placedbetween adjacent ties 7, and which form with the ties the chambers 1 1within which the burners are re ceived.

The device thus far described may have any usual or suitableconstruction, and for the purpose of illustrating the invention I haveshown it as having substantially the same construction as that shown inthe above mentioned patent, wherein a chamber is formed between each twoadjacent ties beneath the rails and the burners 8 extend longitudinallyof each chamber or across the track. These various burners 8 areconnected to a suitable gas main or supply pipe 12 which is herein shownas buried in the ground beneath the track, and which has connectedthereto branches 13 which lead to the various burners, each burnerhaving therein a suitable valve if desired by Which the gas may beturned on or off from each burner. The valves may be arranged above theground to be readily accessible.

In the device shown in said patent the heat from the burner is apt tounduly heat the cover of the chamber along a line directly over theburners while the corners of the chamber are heated to a much lessdegree. Moreover, in practice it has been found that it is not necessaryto have the burner apertures of the burner pipe nearer than about twoinches apart, and Where they are this distance apart the burner will notignite itself from one end because the distance between the adjacentburner apertures is such that the flame will not readily jump from oneto another. To avoid these objections and to render the apparatus shownin said patent more perfect in its operation I propose to interposebetween the burner and the top of the chamber and directly over theburner a deflector which deflects the intense heat of the burner fromthe top of the chamber and distributes said heat more evenly throughoutthe chamber, and I propose to give this deflector such a sha e that itforms within it a sort of gas cham er and to place it sufficiently nearthe burner tube so that whenthe gas is turned on it fills this gaschamber beneath the deflector, and when the burner is ignited from oneend the flame will readily flash back the full length of the burner tubeto completely ignite the latter. In addition to these two functions thisdeflector also acts as a means of protecting the burner and the flamefrom any water which may drip into the chamber. This deflector may besupported above the burner pipe in various ways without departing frommy invention.

In the drawings the deflector 1 6 is shown as having a concave underface 15, and said deflector may conveniently be formed from a plate ofsheet metal bent to semi-circular shape as illustrated. This deflectormay be supported either by the burner pipe or by the cover of thechamber or by the rails. In Figs. 2,. 5 and 6 it is shown as beingsupported on the burner pipe 8, and for this purpose I have illustratedbrackets or clamps which are secured to the deflector and are adapted tobe clamped around the pipe.

In Fig. 5 each clamp is shown as a strap 17 which is riveted or securedto the deflector 16 and which has two arms 18 that embrace the pipe 8and are clamped together by a suitable clamping bolt 19.

' In Fig. 6 the supporting brackets have a strap 20 which is secured tothe deflector 16 and which is provided with a semi-circular portion 21to partially encircle the pipe 8, said strap being held to the pipe by asuitable clamping member 22 and clamping bolts 23.

In Fig. 7 the deflector 16 is shown as riv eted or otherwise secured tothe cover 10 of the chamber.

Other ways of making this deflector than that herein shown may beadopted without departing from the invention. In every instance thedeflector is interposed between the burner 8 and the top of the chamber,and thus it shields the top of the chamber from the intense heat of theburner. Its concaved under face acts as a deflector for the heat, andsince said deflector extends substantially the full length of the burnerpipe 8 the heat generated by the burner will obviously be thoroughlydistributed through the chamber 11. Furthermore, the concave face 15 ofthe deflector forms within it a sort of gas chamber directly over theburner pipe which becomes fllled with gas when the gas is first turnedon, so that by igniting the burner tube at one end the gas collectedbeneath this deflector will be ignited thus igniting the burner for itsfull length.

As stated above in practice the burner openings 24 are so far apart thatwithout the and in the present embodiment of my invention I employ anautomatic lighter which is set in operation by the gas issuing from theburner.

There is in the market at the present time a chemical compound of such anature that it Will become incandescent as soon as gas impinges on it,and this compound. is used extensively in connection with mantles ofburners used for lighting purposes for automatically lighting the burnerwhen the gas is turned on. I propose to employ this chem- .ical inconnection with my burner for automatically lighting it, and in thedrawings I have shown at 25 an automatic lighter which may be suspendeddirectly over one of the burner openings 24, and which contains thereinor has thereon some of this chemical compound, so that as soon as thegas is turned on the gas will impinge against said compound thusbringing it to incandescence and causing the ignition of the gas issuingfrom the burner opening directly beneath. As soon as this one burneropening has been ignited the whole burner tube will become ignited byreason of the presence of the gas in the gas chamber formed by thedeflector 16, as above described.

I propose to use an automatic lighter 25 at each end of each burnerpipe, although my invention would not be departed from if only one wereused on each pipe. Each lighter may be suspended in position in anysuitable Way as by means of a bracket 26 secured to the burner pipe 8.

With the construction above described no harm can result even if theflame at each burner pipe were extinguished either by wind or by draftscaused by the rapidly moving train, because as soon as the gas impingeson the automatic lighter the burner pipe will immediately be relighted.

In using the apparatus herein shown the gas may be cut off from the mainduring warm weather and also during clear cold weather when there is nodanger of the switch becoming clogged with snow. Whenever a stormarises, however, which is liable to block traflic all that is necessaryto be done is to turn the gasronto the gas main, and as soon as it fillsthe main and begins to esca )e from the burners the latter willimmediately be ignited thus producing the necessary heat to keep theswitch from becoming clogged or frozen.

The automatic lighters 25 are preferably detachably suspended from theirbrackets so that if any one becomes damaged or in jured a new one can bereadily put in place.

IVhile for the sake of illustrating the invention and its operation Ihave shown it as used in connection with a switch, yet it will beobvious that by appropriate modifications and without departing from theinvention it may be used in connection with signal apparatus or othersimilar apparatus which is liable to be clogged or rendered inoperativeby snow or ice.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. In a switch or signal apparatus, the combinationwith a chamber adjacent the vulnerable parts of said apparatus, and agas burner in said chamber, of a deflector above the burner forassisting in distributing the heat throughout the chamber.

2. In a switch or signal. apparatus, the combination with a chamberadjacent the vulnerable parts of said apparatus, and a gas burner withinsaid chamber, of means within the chamber to distribute the heat evenlythroughout the chamber.

3. In a switch or signal apparatus, the combination with a chamberbeneath the vulnerable parts of said apparatus, and a gas burner in saidchamber, of a deflector above F16 burner having a concav ed deflectingsurace.

4. In a switch or signal apparatus, the

combination with a chamber beneath the vulnerable parts of saidapparatus, and a gas burner in said chamber, of a member above theburner supported thereby and having a concaved under face to deflect theheat and distribute it through the burner and to form a gas chamber forassisting in igniting the burner.

5. In a switch apparatus, the combination with a chamber beneath thevulnerable parts of said apparatus, and a gas burner in said chamber, ofa deflector having a concaved under surface supported above said burner,and automatic gas-igniting means.

6. In a switch apparatus, the combination with means forming with theties a chamber beneath the rails adjacent the ties, and a burnerextending transversely of the track in each chamber, of a platesustained above each burner and provided with a concave under face.

7. In a switch apparatus, the combination with means forming with theties a chamber beneath the rails adjacent the ties, and a burnerextending transversely of the track in each chamber, of a platesustained above each burner and provided with a concave under face, andautomatic gas-lighting means associated with each burner. I

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS G. SHAW.

WVitnesses:

Louis 0. SMITH,

ELIZABETH R. MoRRIsoN.

